BETA
Chapter 1
The invisible string pulling the city
Chapter 2
Bells, brakes, and runaway cars
Chapter 3
The citizens who fought the buses
YOUR GOAL
Master of The wild mechanics of San Francisco's rolling landmarks
Ch 1 · The invisible string pulling the city
sonia San Francisco Cable Cars
Under the street, under the street, A steel rope pulls us along.
sonia Operators must completely release the cable at flat street crossings to avoid snapping the lines.
sonia Cable cars have no engines; they move by literally clamping onto a moving underground rope.
BETA
sonia Spin the turntable to discover the funniest quirks of San Francisco cable cars.
Fun Fact
Cable car longevity: The oldest active cable car, Car 19, has been carrying passengers since 1883.
Glossary
cable (noun)
A thick, strong rope of wire or hemp used for pulling, towing, or supporting heavy loads. Andrew Hallidie first tested the city's underground steel cables on Clay Street in 1873.
A thick, strong rope of wire or hemp used for pulling, towing, or supporting heavy loads. Andrew Hallidie first tested the city's underground steel cables on Clay Street in 1873.
Quiz
How many separate steel cables run under San Francisco's streets to power the system?
Quiz
What must a cable car gripman do when crossing another cable line at an intersection?
Quiz
Where is the central powerhouse that pulls all of San Francisco's cable cars located?